The Siege of Camelot

Disclaimer: ALL I OWN IS SIR MURILLE!!!! Clear? Oh yes, I own the plot. This is not an original Arthurian story. If you want canon, read The Story of King Arthur and His Knights or some other Arthurian book.

Credits: Plot -- me; this particular version of Pellinore -- T. H. White (or whatever his name is; I think that's right); this particular version of -- oh, whatever. These particular versions of the following: Gaheris, Gareth, Kay (or Kai), Dinadan, Griflet, Sagramore, Lynet (Linnet), and Bleoberis -- Gerald Morris; this particular version of Gawain -- me (meet Grumpy Gawain!); Terence -- Gerald Morris; hyperness -- Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.

Prologue: Sir Murille

It came to pass during the reign of Arthur Pendragon that a knight y-clept Sir Murille did come to the realm of Logres. He brought with his person a host of passing good knights and did entreat Arthur to grant him a siege at the Round Table. "A great desire hath I," he quoth "that I should become one of thy knights and take thee as mine liege lord; also that I sit at thine Round Table."

Arthur replieth unto him: "Thee I hath no grudge against, but thy boon I cannot grant. For until thine name appeareth upon a siege of mine Round Table, thou cannot be a knight of the Round Table."

Sir Murille was then wroth, for he was in truth a recreant knight of the Lady Morgause, the mother of Sirs Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth, and Agravaine, and also the sister of Arthur, and a wicked enchantress. Yet he said not this, but quoth, "Mayst I earn a siege so that mine name appeareth? I wouldst attempt whatsomever thou asketh."

"I understand not the ways of the Round Table, but mayhap after thou questeth long thine name shalt appear," quoth Arthur.

So then the recreant knight Sir Murille did quest. And after he had quested many days, and had not yet come upon what he did seek, he became weary and quoth, "My quest shalt I abandon and go I to Lady Morgause." But ere he had gone e'en three leagues, he came upon a beast most strange.

Now this beast was the Beast Glatisant, or the Questing Beast. She had the head of a serpent, the body of a lizard, the haunches of a lion, and the feet of a deer. But Sir Murille, not being of the court of Arthur, did not know of the Beast Glatisant, nor of the knight that followed her, a passing good knight y-clept King Pellinore. So as Sir Murille did stare after the Beast Glatisant, King Pellinore did gallop from the forest and ram into Sir Murille. There was a goodly noise, and both knights did fall from their horses. King Pellinore, after he did recover, quoth, "Ay say, leave a poor chap to follow his quest without hurtin' him, what, what?" For King Pellinore had been much shaken in the fall.

Sir Murille quoth, "Sir Knight, I know not who thou might be, but it seemeth to me that thou should do well to watch thine way." At this King Pellinore was wonderly wroth, for his temper was nigh uncontrollable, and he did challenge Sir Murille to a joust. "An' the winner follows the Questin' Beast, an' the loser goes back to Arthur, what?" he did conclude.

"'What' thyself," quoth Sir Murille, and he did draw his sword. They did fight long, and Sir Murille was the victor. "Take thyself to Camelot, and tell the good King Arthur that the Knight of the Siege sent thee," he quoth. So King Pellinore betook himself to Camelot, and Sir Murille did follow the Beast Glatisant

After many months had passed, Sir Murille did return to the court of King Arthur, and he did bear with him the head of the Beast Glatisant. At this King Pellinore did lament, for he loved the Beast Glatisant, and he quoth in sorrow, "Killin' a poor chap's only friend ain't knightly!"

And though it seemeth strange, the Round Table did seem to agree with the poor King Pellinore, and Sir Murille's name did not appear on any siege. And a damsel of surpassing did appear to King Arthur, and she quoth: "Thy Round Table shalt never allow Sir Murille upon a siege."

So Arthur did tell this to Sir Murille, and Sir Murille laughed as one fey. "Since one siege I canst have not, I will yet have a siege of Camelot!" And he took his host and laid siege to the castle of Camelot. And none wist why he did do this, for it was not the fault of the king that the Round Table didst not allow him a siege.

Siege -- another word for seat.